Forty-two African countries have pledged stronger funding and policy action to end learning poverty across the continent by 2035, as education ministers and development partners wrapped up the third Africa Foundational Learning Exchange in Lilongwe, Malawi.
The commitment was made at FLEX2026, a three-day summit hosted by the Government of Malawi in partnership with the Association for the Development of Education in Africa. At the close of the meeting, participating governments agreed to place foundational learning at the centre of national education agendas, with a focus on helping children read with meaning, do maths with understanding and develop stronger reasoning skills.
The countries also pledged to increase domestic investment in basic education and align donor support more closely with national priorities. Organisers said the summit marked a renewed continental push to tackle learning poverty through more coordinated action, stronger political leadership and better accountability systems.
A major outcome of the conference was the launch of the Foundational Learning Initiative for Government-Led Transformation, known as FLIGHT, a new philanthropic financing platform expected to mobilise $35 million for government-led education reforms across Africa. The Global Partnership for Education also announced an additional $37 million in funding for countries including Lesotho, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, while the World Bank reaffirmed support through its $1.5 billion AIM4Learning programme.
The summit adopted six priority areas for implementation over the next decade. These include strengthening political leadership, increasing financing for foundational learning, improving data and accountability systems, scaling evidence-based teaching practices, enhancing coordination among development partners and expanding access for vulnerable and hard-to-reach children.
Education advocates say the Lilongwe commitments build on earlier continental pledges made in Kigali in 2024, when African leaders backed a Decade of Education and set a goal of ending learning poverty by 2035. The 2026 summit is being seen as the next step in turning those promises into practical reforms and measurable gains in classroom outcomes.
The next Africa Foundational Learning Exchange will be hosted by Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in 2028, where governments are expected to report progress on the commitments made in Malawi.
Africa Presents is a Pan-African digital magazine and monthly publication covering politics, business, economy, culture, tech, and the stories shaping Africa and its diaspora. Visit africapresents.com and follow @AfricaPresents for daily coverage and monthly themed magazine editions.
Leave a comment